


Sparring Partners

by sabaceanbabe



Category: Farscape
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-02
Updated: 2010-02-02
Packaged: 2017-10-06 23:47:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/59042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabaceanbabe/pseuds/sabaceanbabe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Zhaan's voice behind her made Aeryn pause mid-stretch, the interruption both unexpected and unwelcome.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Sparring Partners

"May I join you?"

Zhaan's voice behind her made Aeryn pause mid-stretch, the interruption both unexpected and unwelcome. She lowered her arms and slowly turned, pivoting on the balls of her bare feet, the fibers of the regulation Peacekeeper sparring mat twisting against her soles.

The Delvian seemed as serene as ever, until Aeryn met her eyes. There was something there that hadn't existed before their encounter with Maldis. Zhaan raised a fine brow, questioning Aeryn's lack of reply. _Hadn't existed or had simply been hidden behind her priesthood?_ Aeryn shrugged and gestured toward the mat even as she wondered why Zhaan had come here, apparently looking for a fight.

With no change in her expression, Zhaan bowed her head, lifted her hands, palms pressed together, and then touched the clasp of her robe. A graceful movement of her shoulders and the shimmery fabric slid soundlessly to the floor. She wore nothing beneath it and her skin shimmered no less than the puddle of blue cloth as she stepped free of it, moved toward Aeryn.

The ex-Peacekeeper adopted a battle-ready stance, toes gripping the mat, slowed her breathing, and clamped down on her curiosity, which had no place in battle. She focused only on her opponent, the physical reality of the here and now. Zhaan dropped into a partial crouch, lowering her center of gravity but retaining her ease of movement as she circled Aeryn, each of them assessing the other's abilities.

Aeryn's eyes never left Zhaan's. It had been drilled into her since her first day of combat training, the eyes were the key. A blink, the slightest glance away, even the dilation of an enemy's pupils would give a split-microt's warning of an action, if not what that action would be. Yet when the Delvian made her first move, there was no warning.

The blow hit the Sebacean hard on her left ear, leaving behind a ringing and a sudden bloom of pain. After a moment, involuntary tears formed in Aeryn's eyes and she blinked them back, mentally reassessing her opponent. Zhaan was much faster than she had anticipated, she would not underestimate her again.

Shaking her head sharply, Aeryn balanced on the balls of her feet, arms loose and ready at her sides. "It's going to be like that, is it?" she asked. Perhaps this would be a more useful exercise than she had first thought. She allowed herself a grin, predatory and with a touch of ice. Zhaan made no response other than to reverse direction, circle slowly around the Sebacean.

Aeryn blocked Zhaan's second strike and then her third, but barely. The fourth nearly took her in the throat; she twisted just enough that the blow landed on her left collarbone instead. The pain was almost blinding, but she ignored it in favor a pantak jab of her own. Surprised, Zhaan stumbled, but quickly caught herself, a half-step to her right, out of Aeryn's range, and she was back on the offensive.

Back and forth they went, blow after blow, some landing, some blocked as gained the measure of the other. Aeryn bled from a strike that had split her lip on her teeth; a patch of light, silvery blue had blossomed on Zhaan's left cheek. The ex-Peacekeeper landed two hard hits in quick succession, but Zhaan countered with an unexpected kick to the head that Aeryn thought might have broken her nose as blood flew in an arc as she whirled away.

The Delvian pursued, pressing her attack and Aeryn twisted again, but one foot landed in a puddle of her own blood on the mat and slid out from under her. She landed hard. Zhaan followed her down, pinned her to the mat with an arm across her throat. For a microt, there was murder in her eyes, but it slowly faded as they lay there on the mat. Another beat, another ragged breath drawn into starving lungs, and Zhaan rolled to her feet. She looked down at Aeryn and offered her hand. Not quite certain what had just happened, Aeryn accepted.


End file.
